Now that oil is over $100 dollars a barrel, cruise lines are starting to re-think adding fuel surcharges. According to Seatrade Insider, a leading cruise industry publication, Regent Seven Seas Cruises is considering instituting a fuel surcharge for 2008 sailings. Regent spokesman Andrew Poulton told Seatrade Insider that if Regent imposes a surcharge it would likely apply only to customers who have not yet paid in full. According to Poulton, Regent’s fuel costs have soared above expectations since with smaller ship the cost of fuel is more significant on a per person basis than on the mega-ships. Poulton says that Regent will make the fuel surcharge decision within the next few days and that the amount will most likely be higher than the $5 daily cost announced two years ago.

In October 2005, Regent announced a fuel surcharge for 2006 sailings that had not been paid in full. The per person, per day amount was $5 for Seven Seas Voyager, Mariner and Navigator and $12 for the Paul Gauguin. No fee was levied for 2007 as Regent had allowed for the cost increases in its published pricing.

Currently, several cruise lines impose fuel surcharges. Costa Cruises began implementing a fee in April in Germany for future bookings, extending the fee in September to the rest of continental Europe for existing and future bookings. In August, AIDA Cruises instituted a surcharge for new bookings. Crystal Cruises has a $5 per person, per day fee and Norwegian cruise line, Hurtigruten has a fuel charge of $6 per person, per day on all sailings.

It’s cliché but flying is a nightmare and hell if you are flying overseas. While flying home from Italy on Monday I was subjected to more checks and pat downs than a prison inmate. How many times within a 10-foot radius must I show my passport and boarding card? In Italy from check-in to actually boarding the flight I had to show my passport and boarding card six times!!! Why, I have no idea since I just showed to someone two feet away. This redundancy is fruitless and stupid. But let’s face it the reason this is all done is to justify a government jobs program — this is Europe after all.

After a week of being pushed and shoved in Europe I was in no mood to be pushed and shoved in lines at home.  Most Americans are quite good about giving space in line – so it comes as no surprise when Europeans come to the U.S. old habits die hard. Such was the case of an Italian couple standing behind me while going through TSA screening at Philadelphia International Airport. I needed several kitty litter sized boxes to put my laptop, shoes, coat, bag of liquids, and then I had to lift up my wheelie bag. The couple started putting their objects on the X-ray belt before I had a chance to put all my items together. Normally I am a patient person, but I politely said you need to give me room. It didn’t translate, they kept pushing me and I finally lost it and shouted – “Back off Jacko,” which they understood. The TSA agent actually showed emotion and laughed. I reminded the couple that since they are in the U.S. there is no need to shove and elbow your way around. We have plenty of room here. I also said if you do this to someone else who is not as nice as me you’re likely to get cursed at or worse.

It’s nice to be home and have some elbow room.

Here’s one that you don’t see often — the crew’s reaction is priceless!

I get a lot of e-mails from people asking if a cruise vacation is right for them. It’s a fair question. After all, once the ship leaves the dock, you’re pretty much stuck until the ship turns around and comes home. Here are answers to seven of the most common questions I get from cruise newbies.

1. What should be my first cruise?

There are two ways to go here. Most first-time cruisers choose a short cruise with lots of port calls; they do this because they’re afraid they’ll go crazy if they’re stuck aboard ship. While this is a good strategy if you just want to get your feet wet, I recommend looking for a longer itinerary with some sea days. That way you can relax and enjoy the ship’s facilities. It’s really the only way to find out what “cruising” is all about. So, look for a cruise with some balance between sea days and port days. My recent cruise aboard the Crown Princess from New York City had a great balance: four sea days and five port days.

2. What about seasickness?

It may have all the amenities of a shoreside resort, but a cruise ship does travel on open water. Your body will register that motion no matter how big the ship is or how well it is stabilized. Therefore, if you experience severe motion sickness on land or on airplanes then cruising may not be for you.

Ordinary motion sickness can be relieved by remedies like Dramamine and acupressure bands. (If you forget to pack them, don’t worry; they are always available in the ship’s store.) If you’re susceptible to motion sickness, book a cabin on a lower deck in the middle of the ship where motion is minimized. Even better is a balcony cabin in the middle of the ship; fresh air really does help with motion sickness. If the going gets rough, you can get a motion sickness shot in the ship’s medical center, but understand you’ll be charged a fee ($75 on up).

3. Do I have to get dressed up every night?

If you love dressing up, then by all means do so. But cruising has become less formal in recent years, so fancy dress is optional. In fact, many new ships offer several informal dining venues (e.g., sushi bars, pizzerias, buffets and snack bars) where you needn’t dress up at all. Still, most ships continue to offer two formal nights in the main dining rooms: the Captain’s Welcome and the Farewell Dinner. Formal-night attire ranges from tuxedos to dark suits for men; for women, formal dress ranges from long gowns to dressy pantsuits. More casual dress is appropriate in the dining rooms on other occasions, but most ships do not allow jeans, shorts or sleeveless men’s tops in any dining venue.

4. Do I have to sit with strangers at dinner?

One of the best parts of cruising is getting to meet people from all walks of life. But if you are uncomfortable sitting with people you don’t know, you can arrange a table change with the maitre d’ – but you must do so as soon as you get on board. If you wait too long, the staff may not be able to accommodate you. Understand that tables for two are scarce aboard ship except on luxury cruise lines like Silversea.

5. What about tipping?

Except on a few luxury cruise ships that have “no tipping required” policies, passengers are expected to tip their cabin steward, dining room waiter and assistant waiter. Many lines recommend that each passenger tip about $10 per day, as follows: cabin steward, $3.50; dining room waiter and assistant waiter, $5.50 (shared); and bistro service waiter and cooks, $1. Bar bills are automatically charged a 15 percent gratuity for the bartender. Special service personnel such as the maitre d’, deck stewards and bellmen should be tipped as service is rendered.

Some cruise lines offer to add the suggested gratuities to your shipboard account; the accounting office then distributes the tips at the end of the cruise. On other ships, you leave cash in an envelope on the last evening of your cruise. Understand that ships’ crews work very hard to make your cruise top-notch. Unless the service has actually been poor, tip the recommended amount. For outstanding service, add a little more. To get an idea of how much to tip, visit Cruise Tip Calculator, a nifty Web site that lists tipping amounts for each crew member on most cruise lines.

Here’s a tip from me to you: Get your cash tips in order before your cruise and have them organized in separate envelopes for each crew member. Believe me, there’s nothing worse than waiting in a long line at the cruise desk on the last night of the cruise to get all your cash tips in order.

6. Will I gain weight?

Cruising is the ultimate “see food” diet — you see food, you eat it. Yes, most passengers end up with more to love after a cruise. But you don’t have to become a sloth in a deck chair; there are plenty of active pursuits to enjoy aboard ship. Most ships have exercise rooms, pools, jogging tracks and fitness classes covering everything from aerobics to yoga. Newer cruise ships like Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas offer boxing, rock climbing and surfing classes, while traditional ships like the Queen Mary 2 offer walk-a-mile deck-lapping sessions and aerobics.

7. Can I do my laundry on board?

Most ships have self-service laundry rooms with ironing boards. On most mainstream and premium cruise lines, you’ll have to pay to use the washers and dryers. On luxury lines like Crystal, Regent, Seabourn, Silversea and Regent, the self-serve laundry is complimentary. Don’t want to waste valuable vacation time doing laundry? Then send your clothes to the ship’s laundry or dry cleaner; there will be a per-item charge. During the cruise, many ships offer a “laundry bag special”: For a set fee (usually $10-$20), laundry crew will wash everything you can cram into the laundry bag.

Cruising is a vacation like no other. It offers vast open seas, and the scenery changes every day. The food and service are better than in a resort hotel, all food and entertainment is included in the price, and you have to unpack only once. Believe me, once you try cruising, you will be hooked for life.